Sign-displaying device.



H. S. LAPOND. SIGN DISPLAYING DEVICE. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 11, 1905 902,496. Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR fi 'fi lx v BY L ATTORNEYS HARRY s'. LAFOND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SIGN-DISPLAYING nnvicn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

Application filed November 17, 1904. Serial No. 233,123.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY S. LAFOND, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sign-Displaying Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to sign-displaying devices, and particularly to devices for displaying signs in store windows and the like.

The main object of my invention is to draw attention to the sign by imparting to the same intermittent movements, and preferably by imparting intermittent irregular movements thereto. Ordinary display signs in store windows attract very little attention, because of their common use, but signs remaining ordinarily at rest, but having occasional irregular movements, would necessarily attract greater attention, and particularly is this so where the mechanism for so moving the sign is kept concealed.

My invention consists, then, in certain improved means for displaying signs, and for intermittently, and preferably irregularly, vibrating them, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

My invention also consists in certain novel details of construction and combination of parts, 'as will be set forth in the following description.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will now describe an embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the drawingsFigure l is a face view of a sign-displaying device embodying my invention, with certain parts broken away in section, and showing a sign displayed thereby. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, with the casing shown in section. Fig. 3 is a detail rear view of the operating mechanism removed from the casing.

The device herein comprises a casing 1 having an upwardly rising front extension 2. A supporting member or rod 3 is provided, and a clamp 4 is adjustably secured thereto, and a sign-holder 5 is pivotally mounted upon the said clamp. The sign-holder swings freely from its pivotal support, and at its lower end has engaging devices 6 for retaining the sign in position. A displaysign 7 is shown in position, held in place by the said engaging devices 6. The supporting member or rod 3 is guided in a pivoted guide 8, being arranged to slide freely therethrough, and at its lower end the said rod is connected to a crank pin 9 mounted upon a crank disk 10. The crank disk 10 is secured upon a shaft 11, said shaft carrying a gear wheel 12 connected by a suitable train of gearing with a power spring 13. A detent 14 is also arranged in the same train of gearing, the said detent being geared up from the wheel 12, the wheel 12 being geared up from the spring. The detent 14 will then revolve very rapidly for a small movement of the spring 13, and will consequently offer but small resistance against stopping, and the stopping of the same will impart but little shock. For urposes of controlling the train of gearing, provide a trip 15, which may engage the detent 14, and in which case will hold the train of gearing in which it is arranged against action, and will hence prevent the disk wheel 10 from revolving, or which may be released from engagement with the detent 14 for a short period, in which case, and during which time, the train of gearing will be free to operate, and the wheel 10 will revolve.

For controlling the movements of the trip 15, I have provided a controlling wheel 16 mounted upon a shaft 17, which carries a pinion 18 arranged in a time train of gearing 19 operated by a power spring 20. The trip 15 is mounted upon a spring-actuated cam follower 21, in this instance shown as comprising a piece of spring material secured at 22 to a stationary portion of the device. The cam follower 21 engages cam portions of the controlling wheel 16, the said cam follower being moved from the position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 3, to the position in which it is shown in dotted lines. In the position in which it is shown in full lines the trip 15 engages the detent 14, but when moved to the position shown in dotted lines, the trip 15 will clear the detent and will permit the same to revolve. The active cam portions of the controlling wheel 16 are preferably arranged at irregular intervals apart, so that the periods of rest will vary, but the said periods may be regular or irregular, as may be desired, and may be timed in accordance with individual re uirements.

n operation, power will be stored in the springs by winding them in the ordinary manner, and the time train will be set in motion.

An ordinary clock escapement 23 may 1 completely revolve when agitated by the be employed for controlling the said time means shown, while others will merely swing train, and the wheel 16 will be caused to re from side to side, while also passing through volve slowly in the directionof the arrow shown in Fig. 3. The wheel 16, in revolving, will gradually withdraw the trip 15 from ongagement with the detent 14, until finally the detent is freed. Revolution of the arbor carrying the detent 14 will permit rotation of the disk 10, as before explained, and the same will impart a planetary movement to the lower end of the supporting member or rod 3. Movement in a substantially elliptical path is thereby transmitted to the upper end of the rod or member 3, and hence to the sign carried thereby, and this movement will continue for several revolutions, or until the end of the cam follower snaps past the tooth or cam projection of the wheel 16 to again permit the trip 15 to engage the detent 14. The sign 7 will not only pass through the elliptical path, above referred to, but will also have a swinging movement, because of the fact that it is swinging freely from the clamp 4, and this swinging movement will be quite irregular, due to momentum and inertia thereof. In practice, I have found that the swinging movement, coupled with the movement of the swinging support through an elliptical path, produces an extremely irregular movement of the sign, and which.

appears to be never twice alike, and this is advantageous, as being more likely to attract attention. The wheel 10 is seldom stopped in the same place, the crank pin 9 being sometimes on one side of the center, sometimes on the other, sometimes above, and sometimes below, the same, so that the sign is constantly started into movement from a different position of rest. This is be cause the slightest inequalities of the gearing, such as are impossible to avoid, are magnithe shaft 17 to such an extent that the exact moment at which the trip 15 will engage the detent 14 is extremely variable. As the engagement of the detent by the trip governs the point at which the mechanism will stop, it follows that the sign will come to rest at many different points. The starting of the sign from different positions of rest also influences the movements thereof, causing them to be more irregular, as will be easily understood.

In the employment of a device of the character described, I have found that the movements of the sign are so irregular and erratic as to immediately attract attention, the sign suddenly swinging into violent movement, after a period of absolute rest, and then again resting, but in a new position. And I have also found that signs of different size and differently balanced, produce entirely different movements. For instance, I have found that signs of a certain style will sometimes the elliptical path above set forth.

It will be obvious, of course, that many and varied modifications of the operating mechanism may be resorted to within the field and scope of the claims herein, and other motors than spring motors may be employed.

- What I claim is:

1. In a sign-displaying device, the combination with means for holding a display sign, and agitating means therefor, of a power device for the said agitating means, another power device, a time train therefor, and means controlled by the time train for controlling the operation of the first said power device.

2. In a sign-displaying device, the combination with means for holding a display sign, agitating means therefor, and power means for the agitating means, of a cam controlling-wheel, and a trip for engaging a part movable with the said power device, said trip engaged by said cam controlling-wheel 3. In a sign-displaying device, the combination with means for holding a display sign, and agitating means therefor, of a power device for the said agitating means, said power device including a train of'gearing, a detent revoluble therewith, another power device, a time train of gearing operated thereby, a cam controlling-wheel in said sign, of agitating means therefor, comprising 2 a revoluble crank pin, a rod pivoted thereto fied by the greater speed of the shaft 11 over and to the sign-displaying device, and a guide for said rod.

5. In a sign-displaying device, the combination with means for holding a display sign, of agitating means therefor, comprising a revoluble crank pin, a rod pivoted thereto and to the sign-displaying device, and a pivoted guide for said rod engaging same intermediate its points of connection with the crank pinv and the sign-holding means.

6. In a sign-displaying device, the combination with means for holding a display sign, of a support to which said means is pivotally connected, whereby the sign may swing freely, agitating means for said support, and means for intermittently operating the agitating means.

7. In a sign-displaying device, the combination with means for holding a display sign, of a support to which said means is pivotally connected, whereby the sign may swing freely, agitating means for said support, and means for intermittently operating the agi- 

